This element provides the heat to both cook the food and slowly burn wood chips that provide the smoke. Bonus: Pellets produce very little ash.Įlectric: Electric smokers have a heating element much like an electric oven. Since pellets are made from wood, there’s no need to add wood chips to produce smoke. Pellets: Wood pellets are made by processing wood waste down to a uniform sawdust-like consistency and then forcing it through dies at high pressure. A lot of people choose propane because it makes the heat easier to manage and is cleaner, with only the ash from the wood chips to clean up. Wood chips need to be placed near enough to the propane burner to burn slowly and provide the desired amount of smoke. As it’s released from its storage tank, it turns back to a gas. Propane: Liquid petroleum gas (LPG), commonly known as propane, is a gas that’s compressed and stored as a liquid. It’s also common to add wood chips to these to get that smoke. Briquettes may contain chemicals to bind them or make them easier to light. Charcoal grillers will typically add wood chips to get the desired amount of smokiness.Ĭharcoal briquettes are generally made from sawdust and other wood byproducts that have been processed into charcoal, and compressed into the shape we’re all familiar with. Charcoal also produces less ash than wood. The charcoal produces nearly no smoke and burns without flames and at a higher temperature than the wood it was made from. Wood fires produce more ash than charcoal.Ĭharcoal: Lump charcoal is made by burning wood in a low-oxygen environment where most of the volatile compounds like water, hydrogen, and methane are released, leaving almost pure carbon. Different species of wood produce various degrees or notes of smokiness. Wood: The traditional fuel, wood is what gives food that smoky flavor everyone is after. Understanding the effort and knowledge required for each type of smoker and fuel will help narrow down which is right or you. Electric, propane, and pellet smokers are all capable of producing great results, while digital control systems to manage temperature and airflow help flatten the learning curve to produce excellent smoked foods with little experience. The traditional offset Texas-style smoker has been the standard for quite a while, but newer technologies are slowly gaining ground. I also consulted product reviews, specs, and other relevant sources. To support my selections, I relied on the firsthand experience of the Popular Mechanics test team, as well as my own knowledge of barbecue smokers and grills. I've also worked as a journalist covering technology and how-tos for publications like Ars Technica, Polygon, and Mel Magazine for almost a decade. Show more The Expert: As a Southerner with a taste for barbecue, I've used a variety of smokers firsthand for a variety of dishes, from pork to seafood. The Science of the Perfect Burger The Best Smokers.It’s Grillin’ Season! Best Charcoal Smokers 2023 Whether you find yourself on the road to a serious smoked barbecue hobby or opting for a more convenient option, we’ve researched, tested, and selected the best BBQ smokers for every home cook. There are even wood pellet grills that let you use an app to control the temperature from several rooms away. For those of us who just want to smoke a nice pork shoulder every once in a while, there are many kinds of grills and smokers that use charcoal and other fuels, which don't require the same careful attention as an offset grill. That said, there are now a wide variety of smokers that cater to more casual cooks who don’t aspire to pitmaster status. So, if you really want to learn barbecue craft, go offset.” With an offset smoker, the only way to control the temperature is the air intake.
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It forces you to learn how to run the fire. “If you’re going to smoke, an offset-the traditional Texas-style smoker-makes the best food,” says Jess Pryles, live-fire cooking expert and author of Hardcore Carnivore. That kind of low and slow cooking demands a lot of time and attention, but experts and hungry barbecue fans will tell you that the extra effort is worth it.
barbecue purists stick to traditional offset smokers that demand careful tending to maintain the correct temperature. From smoking juicy cuts of meat to making soft jerky that tastes better than anything you could ever buy in a store, barbecue smokers are an enduring part of regional food culture.
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